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1887 Adobe Barracks
Fort Robinson, Nebraska
Nebraska State Historical Society
The mission of the
Nebraska State Historical Society
is to safeguard and interpret
Nebraska’s past
and make it accessible in ways
that enrich present and future generations.
Explore Nebraska Archeology, No. 6
A series on Nebraska Archeology produced jointly by
the State Historic Preservation Office and the Archeology
Division of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Text by Terry L. Steinacher and Gayle F. Carlson
Design and Production by Debra Brownson
Maps by Dell Darling, Terry L. Steinacher, and John Swigart
Illustrations courtesy of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
2002
On the cover: Dress cavalry helmet of the type worn by the
first occupants of Barracks 56.
1887 Adobe Barracks,
Fort Robinson, Nebraska
Camp Robinson was established in 1874 as a
temporary U.S. Army post adjacent to the Red
Cloud Indian Agency on the White River in
northwestern Nebraska. Ten years later the post
was still in existence and plans for its enlargement
were being put into effect. By the mid-1880s the
army was beginning to consolidate its activities
along the growing railroad network of the United
States. Because of Fort Robinson’s advantageous
location, near one of the recently established
Sioux Indian reservations and on a new rail line,
it was selected for expansion to accommodate
a regimental headquarters.
Although the post was only about ten years old,
many of its buildings (most of which had been
constructed of pine logs cut from the neighboring
Pine Ridge escarpment) were beginning to show
signs of serious deterioration. Because of the
increasing cost to maintain the existing structures,
and the need for new buildings as part of the
expansion, the army decided to construct what
was essentially a new fort around a larger parade
ground directly northwest of the 1874 parade
ground and building complex.
Fort Robinson, 1888, showing the location of Barracks 56.
As part of the expansion six enlisted men’s
barracks were constructed on the south side
of the new parade ground in 1887. All of these
L-shaped structures were built of adobe bricks.
Between 1889 and 1892 two similar-appearing
barracks of wood frame construction were added,
one on each end of the row. This barracks row
was first occupied by members of the Ninth
Cavalry and Eighth Infantry. The adobe barracks
were used until the 1920s, when all were demol­
ished and replaced by more modern, fired-brick
barracks.
In 1999 the Nebraska State Legislature appropri­
ated funds, to be matched by the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission, for the recon­
struction at Fort Robinson of one of the adobe
barracks. The bill was subsequently signed by
the governor and plans for the reconstruction
were set in motion during the summer of 1999.
The reconstructed building will be used by the
Game and Parks Commission as a meeting room
and group lodge, and for the interpretation of the
significant role that the members of the Ninth
and Tenth cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) played in
the history of the West and Fort Robinson.
Two Buffalo Soldiers from
Troop C, Ninth U.S. Cavalry.
Courtesy of The Frontier
Army Museum, Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas.
The Buffalo Soldiers
Thousands of African Americans served in the
Union Army during the Civil War. In 1866, a year
after the cessation of hostilities, four regiments
of black infantry (later consolidated into two,
the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth) and two
regiments of black cavalry (the Ninth and Tenth)
were formed. These units were collectively
given the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” by the
Plains Indians because of the perceived similarity
of the soldiers’ curly hair to that of the buffalo.
Both the Ninth and Tenth cavalry regiments were
activated by 1867. The Ninth Cavalry was sent to
the Southwest, where it was engaged in active
service in Texas and New Mexico until 1881.
In that year the regiment was transferred to
Kansas and the Indian Territory (Oklahoma).
On August 10, 1885, troops C, F, and K of the
Ninth were assigned to Fort Robinson. Two
years later they were among the first units to
occupy the newly built barracks row. In 1887
Fort Robinson became the Ninth Cavalry’s
regimental headquarters. While at the fort the
Ninth participated in the 1890–91 Wounded
Knee campaign to suppress the Sioux Ghost
Dance movement at Pine Ridge Agency in
South Dakota. In 1898 the Ninth was sent over­
seas and served in the Spanish American War.
After the war units of the Tenth Cavalry were
assigned to Fort Robinson and served there
until 1907. Other units that may have occupied
the soon-to-be reconstructed barracks during
their service at Fort Robinson included those
of the Eighth, Twelfth, and First cavalry; Eighth,
Tenth, and Twenty-second infantry; and
Twentieth Field Artillery.
View of a portion of adobe barracks row, from the east end.
The Barracks Site
The barracks chosen for reconstruction was the
second adobe barracks from the east end of the
barracks row (originally designated Barracks 56
by the military), situated near the southeast
corner of the new parade ground. Barracks 56
was constructed in 1887 of 83,000 adobe bricks
and was covered with a wood shingle roof. The
barracks was shaped like the letter “L” and,
according to archival information, the main
portion of the building measured 169 feet by 30
feet. A 70- by 30-foot wing extended south from
the west end of the building. (The sole exception
to this basic plan was the easternmost adobe
barracks, which had the wing attached to its
east end.) The barracks also had a porch ten
feet wide that ran along most of the front of the
building.
The interior of the barracks was divided into
eleven rooms. Located at the east end of the
main portion were four small rooms: a first
sergeant’s room, a bedroom, a storeroom, and a
hall. The hall led from the first sergeant’s room
into the combined squad room and dormitory
that occupied the rest of the main building.
There were six rooms in the “L” wing: a dining
room, a shop room (barber and saddle repair),
a lavatory (washroom), a bathroom, a pantry,
and a kitchen. The bathroom had two tubs with
a cold-water tap. The kitchen also had a coldwater tap and drain. The barracks was used
until it was demolished in 1923.
Besides the barracks, at least four other structures
were known to have occupied the site. Two of
these, identified from a circa 1890s map, were
located behind the barracks. These structures
were associated with the barracks and consisted
of an early latrine and a root house or cellar.
A photograph of a portion of the former barracks
row indicated that by the late 1890s new root
cellars (with domed, earth-covered roofs) were
built to replace at least some of the original
structures. Around 1900 a new troop lavatory
was constructed just south of the original latrine.
This lavatory was subsequently moved in 1930
and remodeled into noncommissioned officers’
(NCO) quarters. In 1942 a post exchange build­
ing was constructed over part of the south wing
Adobe barracks squad room and dormitory.
Adobe barracks dining room.
area of the former barracks. The post exchange
was demolished sometime following World War
II. No buildings or other structures subsequently
occupied the site of the former Barracks 56.
Archeology
The reconstruction process included an archeo­
logical investigation of the area. The proposed
excavation was intended to answer questions
that could not be resolved by existing historical
documentation. Four major objectives of the
archeological investigation were: 1) determina­
tion of the exact location of the original building;
2) recovery of examples of the building’s hard­
ware styles; 3) clarification of the sequence of
occupation of the barracks by various units
stationed at the fort; and 4) identification of
associated features such as cellars, pits, and
building details not mentioned in the historical
documents. The recovery of an adequate sample
of representative artifactual material, useful
in interpreting the occupational history of the
barracks to park visitors, was an additional goal
of the research project.
The archeological investigation process was
initiated in the summer of 1999 with a remote
sensing survey of the barracks area. Remote
sensing methods can be used to obtain informa­
tion on what lies beneath the ground surface
without excavation. The type of remote sensing
utilized at the barracks site is called electrical
resistivity surveying. This is a non-intrusive
method in which an electric current is passed
through the ground and the resistance to that
current in the soil is measured. Subsurface
features such as walls, pits, and debris concen­
trations can often be detected.
Measurements were taken at one-meter intervals
utilizing a grid laid out over the barracks site.
Electrical resistivity survey map.
In all, 4,800 readings were taken and then com­
puter plotted, producing a map showing the
various resistance readings across the site area.
The readings strongly suggested that most of the
foundation from the original building remained
buried beneath the surface. The readings also
revealed the probable location of the original
latrine, as well as the locations of several
unidentified features. The resistance map allowed
for the planning of a careful and efficient
excavation during the following field season.
Barracks 56 excavation map.
Excavations on the barracks remains were
conducted in the summer of 2000 under the
direction of the Nebraska State Historical Society
Archeology Division. The University of NebraskaLincoln Department of Anthropology Field
School provided most of the workers. In addition,
the Nebraska Association of Professional Arche­
View of wall foundation.
ologists sponsored a two-day volunteer dig with
fourteen people participating. The fieldwork
lasted about four weeks and was completed,
for the most part, in late June with some minor
follow-up testing in August.
The field investigations were successful in defining
all six corners and the exterior wall lines of the
L-shaped stone and mortar barracks foundation.
A representative sample of the fired-brick porch
post pedestals was also located. Testing within
the barracks remains identified one of the interior
floor supports, which consisted of a collapsed
rock pillar. Several electrical resistance anomalies
(unusual sets of readings) not associated with
the barracks foundation remains were also tested.
Some of these were found to have been caused
by localized concentrations of debris, either
related to the barracks occupation or more recent
periods. Two of the larger anomalies were
found to relate to the barracks occupation, in­
cluding the remains of the first latrine and what
is believed to have been a large external pit dug
View of waterline access pit beneath the kitchen.
to collect drain water from the bathroom and
lavatory, located in the eastern portion of the
“L” extension. Near the southern end of the “L”
extension a deep pit was discovered and
excavated. This proved to have been dug originally
to provide access to the water pipes and drain
beneath the kitchen. Random tests carried out
within the squad room/dormitory and the small
room complex at the east end of the main part
of the barracks located the remains of a brick
chimney and also produced artifactual material
relating to the first sergeant’s room (barracks
office). Slightly outside the area of the resistivity
survey, both root cellars associated with the
barracks were located and tested.
Artifacts
A large and varied sample of material remains
was recovered during the archeological investi­
gations. Remains of the building itself were
frequently found, such as large quantities of
nails and lesser numbers of such items as door
and window hardware and window glass.
Ammunition-related items were quite abundant,
including complete and fired cartridges and
lead bullets of numerous sizes ranging from .22
to .45 caliber. Personal items were common,
such as buttons (both military and non-military),
clothing and shoe parts, personal grooming items,
coins, game pieces, and tobacco-related artifacts.
A few categories of office-related material
included pens, pencils, paper clips, and thumb­
tacks. Household items, such as various types
of ceramics, bottles, tin cans, and animal bone,
were plentiful. Less common items, such as
various types of horse gear (a horseshoe, harness
and saddle parts, and a possible buggy wrench)
were also recovered, as well as miscellaneous
hardware items not easily classifiable. Finally,
a small amount of collected material, consisting
of chipped stone debris and Native American
ceramics, demonstrated that one or more
prehistoric or early historic occupations of the
site predated the military occupation.
Reconstruction and Interpretation
The archival, field, and laboratory research
related to this project have resulted in a detailed
report that will make possible the accurate
reconstruction of this historically significant
structure. Artifactual material recovered from
the excavations will be used in interpretive
displays that will teach park visitors about the
day-to-day life of soldiers of the Ninth and Tenth
cavalry and other military units that occupied
the barracks. The displays will also provide
Drawing by Curt Peacock
information on the occupational history of the
barracks site from its earliest known use by late
prehistoric or early historic Native American
groups, probably as a temporary campsite, to
the World War II years, when a post exchange
building occupied a portion of the former
barracks location. The main emphasis will be
on the 1880s to early 1900s period, when the
Buffalo Soldiers played a prominent role in
the settlement of the West.
Archeological Preservation and
Opportunities for Involvement
Over 10,000 years of human occupation in
Nebraska occurred prior to written records,
map-making, and photography. The only way
to tell the stories of these ancient peoples is
through the careful study of archeological
remains. Information on early historic sites is
usually also sketchy and can be augmented
through archeological research. However,
archeological sites are fragile and non-renewable
resources. Modern land-use practices and urban
expansion are taking an alarming toll on the
archeological record. Looting for fun or profit is
also having serious effects on significant sites.
A disturbed site is nearly impossible to interpret
for the benefit of science and public appreciation.
Accurate reconstruction of buildings at sites like
Fort Robinson, Fort Atkinson, and Rock Creek
Station would not have been possible had the
sites been looted.
The Nebraska State Historical Society recognizes
the need to balance archeological conservation
and the public’s desire to participate in research.
This publication series is directed to that need.
Several other publications that interpret Nebraska
archeology are also available. One of these is
Central Plains Archeology, a publication jointly
sponsored by the Society and the Nebraska
Association of Professional Archeologists. The
journal reports the results of recent archeological
research and can be obtained at the NSHS in
Lincoln. In addition, those interested in learning
about volunteer opportunities are invited to
contact the Society’s Archeology Division,
which sponsors volunteer excavations for the
general public.
Excavating a portion of the original latrine pit.
Test excavation in Cellar No. 2.
For more information please call the Society archeo­
logical staff at Fort Robinson at (308) 665-2918 and
665-2920, or in Lincoln at (402) 471-4760. Our e-mail
address is [email protected]. Also, visit
our website (nebraskahistory.org).
Additional Reading
Buecker, Thomas R., 1993
“One Soldier’s Service: Caleb Benson in the Ninth and
Tenth Cavalry, 1875–1908.” Nebraska History, 74 (2):54–62.
Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln.
Buecker, Thomas R., 1999
Fort Robinson and the American West, 1874 –1899.
Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln.
Buecker, Thomas R., 2002
Fort Robinson and the American Century, 1900–1948.
Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln.
Carlson, Gayle F., 2001
The Archeology of an 1887 Adobe Barracks (25DW51–
B56) at Fort Robinson, Nebraska: Report on the 2000
Investigations. Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln.
Carroll, John M. (editor), 1971
The Black Military Experience in the West.
Liveright, New York.
Grange, Roger T., Jr., 1958
“Fort Robinson: Outpost on the Plains.” Nebraska History,
39 (3):191-241. Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln.
Leckie, William H., 1967
The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry
in the West. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.
McChristian, Douglas, 1996
“‘Dress on the Color, Boys!’: Black Non-Commissioned
Officers in the Regular Army, 1866–1898.” Colorado
Heritage. Colorado Historical Society, Denver.
Rickey, Don, Jr., 1963
Forty Miles a Day on Beans and Hay: The Enlisted Soldier
Fighting the Indian Wars. University of Oklahoma Press,
Norman.
Schubert, Frank N., 1995
Outpost of the Sioux Wars: A History of Fort Robinson.
University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.
Taylor, Quintard, 1996
“Comrades of Color: Buffalo Soldiers in the West, 1866–
1917.” Colorado Heritage. Colorado Historical Society,
Denver